Friday Photo: Chamberlain Clock at Rush Hour
Today’s Friday photo is the Chamberlain Clock in the Jewellery Quarter. I captured the picture during the evening rush hour to get a touch of light trail now the darker evenings are here!
The Clock, named after Joseph Chamberlain, is a cast-iron Edwardian clock tower that was erected in 1903 to mark Chamberlain’s tour of South Africa after the end of the 2nd Boar War. It stands at the junction of Vyse, Frederick Street and Warstone Lane. It has become an icon of the Quarter, indeed, whenever I get stopped for directions to the Quarter I always say look out for the clock!. Chamberlain himself lived on Frederick Street and he had an active interest in helping jewellers with a campaign to annul Plate Duties, he had a keen interest in British Industry. The clock’s original timepiece was a clockwork winding handle but this was later changed to electricity. After eighty years standing it slowly fell into disrepair, losing its chime. It was fully restored in 1989 and mostly keeps to time today! There are numerous Chamberlain Clocks across Birmingham, look out for some more in future Friday Photo posts.
